EARLY HOMES United Service Club Queensland
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History and Heritage Series EARLY HOMES (and Stories) of the United Service Club Queensland Based on a presentation by COLONEL Dennis Scanlan, CSM, RFD, ADC – Club President 2010 -11, the Club’s history (United Service Club Queensland: The First Century 1892-1992, by Flight Lieutenant Murray Adams and Lieutenant Colonel Peter Charlton), and various websites. These Background Notes have been prepared to enhance Members’ appreciation of the Club through better awareness and understanding of selected aspects of the Club’s rich history and heritage and the remarkable people who have contributed to its development over the years. We acknowledge . Please contact the Club if you have additional that there are probably errors and omissions information or comments to assist the improvement of these notes. We thank the History Interest Group and other volunteers who have researched and prepared these Notes. The series will be progressively expanded and developed over time. They are intended as casual reading for use by Members only and should not be reproduced or distributed to non- members, to avoid any potential copyright issues. File: Buildings. History. Early Premises. Revised Jan 2016.DS.RM 1 Homes of the United Service Club Queensland Based on a presentation by COLONEL Dennis Scanlan, CSM, RFD, ADC – Club President 2010 -11, the Club’s history (United Service Club Queensland: The First Century 1892-1992, by Flight Lieutenant Murray Adams and Lieutenant Colonel Peter Charlton), and various websites. Introduction The Club has occupied its current premises for almost 70 years and these premises are now synonymous with the Club, so today’s Members may not be aware of that our current premises are our sixth home since the Club was founded in 1892.1 This Note outlines the Club’s previous homes and provides a few glimpses of early Club life over the years. William Street (1893-1899) The first building the Club occupied in 1893 was in William Street Brisbane and was provided (along with a grant of £50 per year) by the Queensland Colonial Government. Members’ fees were half a guinea per year and it is thought that there were 61 foundation members (from approximately 150 officers in the Brisbane area). The Club’s first home in William Street In the global context, 1893 was a year of peace but the British public were mourning the death of Poet Laureate Alfred, Lord Tennyson; in the Colony, the shearer’s strike was only recent, the local economy was experiencing a depression, Queensland trains were lit with gas lamps for the first time, Jackie Howe set a world record by shearing 321 sheep in one day, and Brisbane and Ipswich were about to be stricken by disastrous foods in 1893. Brisbane had grown to 100,000 people from 5,000 in 1859 (the year of Separation from the colony of New South Wales). Its streets were paved with wooden blocks and lit by gas lamps, with transport provided by horse-drawn trams. The building provided by the Colonial Government was a small, old building that was once the office of the Colonial Secretary. There was an entrance via a lane from George Street with the main 1 The United Service Club Queensland was established as a military officers club on the 22 December 1892 by Major General John Owen RA, Commandant of the Queensland Defence Force. It was modelled on the United Service Club in London that was formed in 1816 by the Duke of Wellington soon after Waterloo The London club has since closed but its premises, located at 116 Pall Mall London, still exist and is currently occupied by the Institute of Company Directors. File: Buildings. History. Early Premises. Revised Jan 2016.DS.RM 2 entrance from William Street up a flight of stone steps. It was thought to have originally been a private residence as it had a bow window onto William Street. The staff of the Club at that time was led by Head Steward, Arthur Holyoak. Arthur Holyoak is in the centre of this photo. It was the Club’s home for about six years until it was demolished to make way for progress, ie the construction of the sandstone Executive Building. Queen Street (1899-1900) In 1899 the Government provided temporary premises in Queen Street almost opposite the current GPO. The image below shows Queen Street in front of the GPO just a few years before the Club moved there in 1899. Looking west along Queen Street with the GPO on the left, c1895 File: Buildings. History. Early Premises. Revised Jan 2016.DS.RM 3 It was from the Queen Street location that the first Club members departed for the South African War (Boer War). Crowds of 25,000 to 30,000, the largest Brisbane had ever seen, lined the parade routes to farewell the seven Queensland contingents totalling 3,000 men. The majority of the contingent’s 110 officers were Club members2. Queensland’s continent marching east along Queen Street Sometime prior to 1900 the Club changed its name to ‘United Service Institution of Queensland’ and it became known as the Institution.3 The removal of the word Club from the title it is believed happened to minimise the connotations of elitism and privilege and to emphasise the educational role of the Club so as to continue to attract the Government grant4. 2 They included Lieutenant CG Gehrmann, a member of the 5th Queensland Imperial Bushman distinguished by koala-skin puggarees (hat bands), and the first contingent of Queensland Mounted Infantry included the then Captain HG Chauvel, later General Sir Harry Chauvel. 3 It is thought that the brass plate now displayed outside and next to our front door has been brought from earlier buildings and has been modified over the years with a separate plate reading ‘Club’ affixed to cover-up the word ‘Institute’. 4 The new Labour Party had an increasing presence in parliament and it’s probable that its members would not have much affection for an officers’ club. File: Buildings. History. Early Premises. Revised Jan 2016.DS.RM 4 Aubigny, 293 North Quay (1900-1904) After a year or so in Queen Street the Club moved to ‘Aubigny’ in 1900, again provided by the Colonial Government. This was a gracious building and very comfortable quarters, situated at the northern end of North Quay, not far from today’s William Jolly Bridge. ‘Aubigny’, 293 North Quay, home of the Institution circa 1900-1904 It had previously been the home of the Honourable Patrick Perkins, the proprietor of the Milton brewery prior to the Victorian brewer Castlemaine Brewery acquiring a controlling interest5. There were adequate facilities for enjoying a drink and lunch cooked by the steward’s wife, and a library. But it did not have a billiard table. That deficiency was soon rectified by raising funds to a total of £130 through the issue of debentures (from £5 upwards) to members, and surprisingly, these were fully subscribed in ten minutes. The Head Steward Arthur Holyoak resided with his family at the Club. Sadly, while living at the Club Arthur’s daughter, Eileen Dorothy Holyoak died from meningitis at the tender age of 4 years and 2 months (see extract of her Death Certificate below). Extract of Eileen Holyoak’s Death Certificate 5 It was then known for years as Castlemaine Perkins Brewery. File: Buildings. History. Early Premises. Revised Jan 2016.DS.RM 5 In March 1901 the new Commonwealth of Australia took control of all naval and military forces. It refused to provide premises for the Institution as had been done by the Colonial Government (the Queensland Government had provided premises and £50 grant pre year). Fortunately the grant was increased to £100 per year and was continued. This grant this assisted the Institution to pay the rent of its next premises at 21 North Quay. The Club moved from ‘Aubigny’ in 1905, but the building had an interesting life after the institution had moved out. Soon after the Club vacated the building the Sisters of Mercy established Brisbane’s first Mater Private Hospital there in 1906. ‘Aubigny’ as Mater Hospital c 1906. Aubigny was eventually demolished as part of the northern approaches to the William Jolly Bridge c 1929. Grey Street Bridge (now William Jolly Bridge) under construction c1929, looking upstream File: Buildings. History. Early Premises. Revised Jan 2016.DS.RM 6 21 North Quay (1905-1914) The Club moved to at building at the opposite end of North Quay in 1905, to premises with an address of 21 North Quay. Trafalgar Day at 21 North Quay in 1905. The ‘turret’ of the old Supreme Court building is in the background. The commemoration of the Centenary of the Battle of Trafalgar on 21 October 1905 was a big occasion. The Club History6 book records that: One memorable occasion at No 21 North Quay was the Institution’s celebration on 21 October 1905, of the centenary of the Battle of Trafalgar. The committee went to great trouble to ensure the correctness of every detail, even to the extent of having special smaller than standard naval signal flags made because of the limited space available to display Nelson’s famous message on the three masts, complete with cross trees, which had been erected in front of the club house. Precisely at noon on the day, before a large crowd of members and honourable citizens, the order to hoist the signal was given by Lieutenant MGG Pascoe, a grandson of Flag Lieutenant Pascoe who gave the original order on ‘HMS Victory’ exactly 100 years earlier. That night Lieutenant Commander W Harris RNR gave a lecture on the Battle to members and Lieutenant Pascoe displayed naval trophies which had come to him from his grandfather.